Dialysis procedures, for example, frequently use dual lumen catheters to transport blood from a patient to a dialysis machine and then return processed blood back to the patient. See, e.g., McIntosh et al., JAMA 169(8): 137-38 (1959). Functionality, comfort, ease of manufacture, and ease of use are all important considerations for catheter designs. Specifically, high flow rates through catheters are necessary to maximize the efficiency of dialysis procedures. Both the physiology of blood and the designs of conventional catheters limit flow rate. Blood cells cannot survive high pressure differentials or excessive mechanical shear.
Conventional catheters have a design which, while useful, does not maximize flow rate within the bounds of these physiological constraints. Additionally, conventional catheter designs have several other disadvantages. First, an intake lumen positioned with a vessel often becomes suctioned against the vessel wall, reducing flow through the catheter. Second, a shaft of a conventional catheter is prone to kinking, again reducing flow. Third, an internal septum that divides multiple lumens within a catheter is prone to deflection due to pump pressure.